Electrically operated fishing tool



' Nov. 24, 1936. W WELLS 2,061,864

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED FISHING TOOL Fiied July 14, 1934 IEI IWFI'IIF l \illllllllllll l INVENTOR M4 759- 7 M45 wgk K Patented Nov. 24, 1936 Walter T. Wells, Glendale, Calif., assignor to The Technicraft Engineering Corporation, Los

Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application July 14, 1934, Serial No. 735,211

2 Claims.

Second, to provide a tool of this class which may be readily and quickly changed and new jaws substituted whereby jaws most suited to grasp the particular objects or fish may be used;

Third, to provide a tool of this class which, by means of its electrical character of operation, the operator may determine from the load on the supporting cable and the current supplied to the tool whether or not the tool is in engagement with the fish, and

Fourth, to provide a tool of this class which is particularly simple and .economical of construction and of operation, durable, efficient in its action and which will not readily deteriorate.

With the above and other objects in view as may appear hereinafter, reference ismade to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 isca longitudinal sectionalview of'my fishing tool shown disconnected from its supporting cable.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the gear train used in my fishing tool with the various elements thereof shown in spaced relation to facilitate illustration.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional through33 of Fig. 1. I Fig. 4 is a reducedelevational view of my fish- 35 ing tool showing it attached to a supporting cable and illustrating a modified form of the jaw means.

As shown in Fig. 4, the fishing tool is suspended from a special cable I having an outer weight supporting lay la and a core therein through which extends an insulated conductor weight-supporting lay socket 2, while the conductor lb extends therethrough. The socket member 2 is sealingly secured to a cap member 3 which in turn screws into the upper end of a shell l5.

The lower end of the shell I5 is provided with a bore of reduced diameter fo ing with the main portion of the shell a shoulder l5a. Abovethe shoulder there is supported in alternating rela- 50 tion aseries of spacer gear supporting plates II. A' spacer tube l8 rests upon the uppermost gear supporting plate l1 and supports a'motor II. spacer rings and supporting plates are secured in position by a collar screwthreaded into the shell to accomplish I lowermost set of planetary gears engage an in-'- view thereof eludes key. portions lb. Thelais suitably anchored in a .rings l6 and planetary Said motor, spacer tube,.'

from its upper end and bearing against the motor casing. The supporting platesll are prevented from turning by lugs l'lc which extend into channels formed in the walls of the shell l5.

The upper end of the tact 2i which is'suitably engaged by a terminal, not shown, connected with the core lb of the cable and supported in the cap member 3.

The motor I!) isprovided with a shaft Illa in which is interposed a flexible coupling l9b. The lower end of the shaft I lie extends through a packing gland 22 provided on the uppermost supporting plate l1 and is fitted with a primary pinion gear 23. Said pinion gear 23 engages a plurality of'planetary gears 24 which are journaled on pins llb depending from the uppermost plate H. The planetary gears 24 in turn engage an internal gear portion 25a of a double gear 25. Said double gear also includes a centrally disposed pinion gear portion 25b depending therefrom which extends through the next supporting plate toengage additional planetary gears 24.

After the desired number of pinion gears, planetary gears and double gears have been provided the desired gear reduction, the

ternal gear portion 26a of a drive-member 26. Said drive member is provided with an internally threaded driving socket 2% which fits into the bore at the lower end of the shell l5 and coacts with a correspondingly threaded stem 21a of an operating bar 21 -so that rotation of the motor, drives the operating bar axially.

The operating bar 2T is slidably mounted in a sleeve 28 which is secured to the shell l5, and in turn supports a packing gland 29 surrounding the operating bar 21. The operating bar is provided with a flange 21b therearound which in- 2'Ic adapted to slide in key ways formed in the sleeve 28 to restrain the operating bar against rotation.

The shell I5 is provided with depending brackets lib, preferably arranged in diametrical pairs. Each bracket lib journals a grappling arm I 3, the extended inner side of which is serrated to form a jaw l3a. Each grappling arm I3 is pivotally connected intermediate its ends to a link M. The several links. M are in tumpivotally connected to the extended or lowered end of the operating bar 21. Movement of the operating bar in and out of the sleeve 28 shifts the'jaws l3a radially inward and outward.

By providing a motor I! adapted to drive in either direction said motor may be caused to shift motor l9 carries a conthe fingers inwardly or outwardly by positive acg tion. It is therefore, possible to provide many different types and arrangements of jaws par-,

ticularly formed to grasp special objects or fishes that may be in the wall. For example, arm members 30 may be used which are shaped to provide outwardly directed jaws 30a; the tool being lowered with the jaws positioned radially inwardly and operate by spreading the jaws,

The first described structure is likewise capable of utilizing specially formed jaws by using the force of the spring l2 for holding the jaws in their secured position, or by reversing the action of the spring and armature.

The arm members l3 may be held in their inner positions, such as shown in Figure 4, while the tool is being run into the well. When the arm members are so positioned, their outer sides act as guides to facilitate running of the tool.

By connecting a suitable ammeter or other electric current measuring device to the cable I, and by providing means for measuring the load on the cable, it is possible to determine from the surface whether or not the fish is free or fast. Also such device or means also aids in determining when the motor stalls by reason of the grappling fingers being restrained against further movement.

I claim:

1. In an. electrically operated fishing tool; the

combination with a supporting and conducting cable; of a body member-adapted to be lowered into a well bore; grappling means depending therefrom; a motor within said body member having a driving shaft concentric with said body 5 member; gear reduction means actuated by said drive shaft, said gear reduction means comprising a plurality of planetary drive units arranged in series and having a reduced speed driving end arranged concentrically within said body mem- 10 her; and a screw jack incorporating the driving end of said gear reduction means and including an axially movable member operatively connected with said grappling means.

2. In a fishing tool adapted to be lowered into 15 a well bore on a conductor cable; a body member; a plurality of grab fingers depending therefrom;

a centrally disposed operating stem slidably and non-revolvably'mounted in the lower end of the body member; link means connecting said stem 20 with said grab fingers; said body member having a cavity in its upper portion; an electric motor mounted therein; a gear reduction unit below the motor having a slow driving end engageable with the said stem; and a screw drive means incor- 26 porating the engaging portions of said stem and slow driving end.

WALTER T. WELLS; 

